


a family lost

by anon_drabble



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Changelings, F/M, Fae & Fairies, I have no originality, Possessive Han Jumin, Warnings May Change, au everyone has done before, cliched au, fae jumin, fae!jumin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-11-26 21:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20937332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anon_drabble/pseuds/anon_drabble
Summary: this is being written for jumin week 2019 on tumblr!this is perhaps the most over-done and cliche au ever but look at me not caring, hahaha. this is being based heavily off of one of my favorite books but is definitely not following it in any way.essentially, an au in a magical world with other races, namely fae. they have magic, they're crafty, chaotic, not nice, etc. jumin is the new king of the fae and he begins changing things, prompting a response from the human world, namely mc.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> as this is being written for a week, it's one chapter per day. first chapter is extremely short but i'll do my best to make the others more consistent.

"I promise I'll get you back." she said, her hand moving along the side of the empty cradle. She heard many of the other villagers outside, gathered around their hut. 

"Another one was taken? Was a changeling left behind?"

"Those fae-folk have become so bold of late.Will they never stop until our village is empty?" 

Losing a child to the fae was common in this place. But the others were correct that it had increased lately. Instead of perhaps one child a month being taken away, it had become once a week or even more. And this time, it was MC's sister taken. 

She wasted no time, immediately packing a small bag of a few supplies. She was grateful her father was a hunter and had taught her much of living off the land. As night fell and the village fell into the now-common restless sleep, MC snuck away. She crept silently through the paths she'd known all her life. She never made a sound, which was how she realized she wasn't alone. 

MC ducked to the side, taking cover behind a bush. Just in time as two fae made themselves known. Normally, they might never speak in the human tongue. But somehow, MC understood as they spoke in hushed tones. 

"Another tonight? We must be running out of changelings!" 

"So foolish, of course we're not! But while running out we are not, risking ourselves nightly, yes, that is true." 

"What does he expect to find? Riches? A bride?" the first asked. 

"We know not. But with his birthday comes great urgency. We must do bring all we can today, the anniversary of his birth."

"Those human whelps blow out candles for their birthdays. Does our king seek to simply blow out their race?" the fae cackled at the wit. MC rolled her eyes but felt her anger bubble. All of this was because of the king's birthday? Oh, she'd certainly give him a birthday he'd never forget. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mc gets to the world of the fae, aka egg tries really really hard to write world descriptions.

The problem now was how would she ever find the kingdom where they hid the children they took? It certainly wasn't on a map. Other-worldly creatures had ways to hide, they possessed magic that the humans did not. And while humans were known for being stubborn and determined, that alone would not be magic enough to get her sister back. Then there was the added potential problem of getting out with her sister. There hadn't been a tale yet of a human who saw the fae's land and lived to tell of the experiences. But in addition to stubbornness and determination, MC had very little fear within her. 

Getting in would not be a problem. She had an idea for that. Dangerous, foolhardy, and deadly. But an idea. You see, getting in would be all too easy. She promptly stood up, the two fae-folk still close enough that she could overhear them. And with pride and a loud voice, she announced her intentions in no uncertain tones. 

"The King must be weak indeed to employ such incompetents. Getting the children of my village back will be shamefully easy. Never have I heard of the once-proud fae being ruled by one so incompetent as your new king must be! He shall never make it to his next birthday!" 

Her words worked. The fae turned on her, and were upon her in a flash.She was gagged, blindfolded, and trussed before she could say another word. The important thing is that they didn't kill her outright. She heard them muttering but with all the things going on, she couldn't make out clear words. Something perhaps about "how?" and "the glow", but she expected it was likely the lantern in her possession. Fancy fire confounded them, perhaps. Next came the darkness. By that, I mean the being knocked unconscious. 

MC remained asleep for a long while. Was she tired or was the blow to her head that severe? Or maybe it was some sort of sleeping magic. Either way, when she awoke, she was certainly in another world. It almost looked to be underground. There was no light above and hardly any illumination at all. The plants around emitted a faint blue and green glow that illuminated the environment. The ground appeared to be stone, a gray color with veins that faintly glimmered like gems. The "ceiling" or maybe the sky, something dark and vast above her head, had many hanging plants. Some obviously carnivorous, waiting with open buds, dripping what was likely acid down below. Where the plant saliva pooled, strange-looking fungus grew. It appeared soft and cushioned like moss but upon a closer look, the individual leafs were razor-tipped mushrooms. Touching one would likely instantly cut her skin. Perhaps poison her as well. She found herself to be grateful to be in a cage as it seemed to be the safest spot for a human. 

"Behind you," a voice said as her eyes were still taking in her surroundings. But she turned. Upon what was painfully obviously a throne sat what looked like a young man. Jet black hair, a very human appearance, except for his piercing eyes that felt far more magical than any other aspect. Or so she thought until he spoke again. His voice remained low, deep, but it reverberated within her. It compelled her to strain her ears to pick up every sound he made. The voice and the sound forced her to turn her entire attention to him and to notice nothing else. And she felt herself sway. Not physically but mentally. Like she was being made to obey his words. Like she might forget her original mission to save her sister and instead remain the servant of the owner of that voice. 

"The King of the fae-folk, I assume." Her voice cracked, though she tried to sound brave and confident. 

"I am. It has been a many long eons since I have seen your kind," he replied. His voice sounded neutral but his words confused her. 

"A human? Don't be silly, your kind has been stealing from us for years! You took my sister from me! Don't tell me you've never seen a human,"' she huffed, her anger making her eyes flash. 

He blinked, the first sign of wel, any sense that he wasn't bored to tears. "I understand. You do not but I will not shed any light on this matter for you. I may have commanded my kind to take your sister. You believe you can rescue her?" he asked and she felt her confidence waver as his voice settled over her. That cloud of obedience threatening to blind her to everything else. 

She shook her head, struggling to keep her mind clear of his influence. "Yes. I can outsmart some wannabe king who doesn't know what he's doing." 

He didn't react to her insults. "Mm, yes, you're very intimidating in that cage. But there is something perhaps dangerously beautiful about a creature caged as you are. I am in need of a wife." He stood and approached her cage slowly, like a predator cornering its prey. "Perhaps I will just keep you here. A thrall from the king will never wear off." He leaned close to the cage, his deep eyes boring holes into her. "You'd never think of escape again."

She felt shivers run down her spine. She had no doubt he could do exactly what he said. What she did doubt for the first time was her ability to get her sister back without losing something else in the process. "W-Wouldn't it be terribly beneath you to have a human for a queen?" she croaked, her voice betraying her fear. 

"Indeed. It would be," he said, though he didn't back off, instead holding her gaze. He knew something she didn't, probably many things she didn't know. She hated not knowing, and hated the power he had without even trying. 

"It would be terribly beneath me to marry the likes of you, even in a forced marriage," she managed to spit, her bravado flaring up and flickering out almost immediately. 

But his eyes flashed with anger and he turned and left her alone without another word. Alone in her cage. That was what she wanted but she suddenly felt so empty and defeated. She fell to her knees, put her head in her hands, and tried to force every trace of him outside of her. The cage would be far easier to escape than he would be, she knew. His presence was strong, terrifying, and seductive. She'd heard of humans going made from a fae's magic. Was this what that was? Or was it something more? One of the many things she didn't understand?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spoiler for the ao3 folks: don't worry, fae!jumin is still a gigantic softie just like the juju we all know and love. ♥


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aka exposition bear appears. sorry this ended up being rather dull and is all just…exposition. but maybe interesting exposition? an egg can hope.
> 
> this is for day 3, the themes being fairy tale and au….um….so i was already working with the au theme, hahaha, and jumin is a fae so…. anyways, basically, this ended up be a fae’s tale. so a fairy tale. set in an au. that counts, right?

Eventually, MC regained her composure. She stood in the cage, taking a moment to inspect the lock. It definitely didn’t look like it could be broken. But there might have been a chance she could pick the lock. She’d never picked a lock before but she had all the time in the world, really. Everyone knew the babies taken never aged in the fae world. The changelings left behind would age and grown and live the life the human was supposed to have led. The only reason she had to hurry was to bring her sister back while her mother and father were alive to see it. Time passed differently in this new realm. She had no way of knowing how much time had gone by in the human realm. But in this other world, it may have only been half a day.

The fae had taken her supplies, left her with nothing but her clothing in her cage. She dared not reach to try to grab a rock or plant around her as she got the distinct feeling of danger from everything. But ti hardly mattered. MC had charged in without much thought but she wasn’t wholly stupid. She had been raised in a family of hunters, after all. Hunters were never found without daggers somewhere on their bodies. Yes, her obviously dagger, the one around her hip, had been taken. But she felt the familiar sense of sharing her boot with a small knife, hardly worthy of killing anything. But every hunter knew every advantage could save your life. She’d never needed to use her boot-knife before but now was as good a time as any to break it in. The tip barely fit in the lock. Again, MC had no idea how to break open a lock, except to wiggle it until the lock opened. And even with her misplaced confidence, MC knew it would likely be a long endeavor.

She had no idea how long she’d been working on the lock when she began to hear voices. Enough time that she had started to feel the differences in the slight vibrations when she hit different mechanisms inside. But not enough time that she had manage to escape. She stopped her attempt when she head the first voice, in case they might come into her area and see her trying to escape. But the voices stopped before ever coming into view. The first voice she couldn’t identify. The second belonged to the king.

The words sounded strange. Hard to understand. Not that they were hard to hear but it took her brain longer to process the sounds into actual words. It gave her the sense that she shouldn’t be able to understand them at all but somehow she did.

“Father. There must be another way. Any other way,” the voice belonging to the king said.

“I cannot foresee a single other option that will give us these results.” The king was talking to his father? But wouldn’t his father be dead? How did the king manage to only recently take the throne with his father still alive?

“I understand this produces results faster but we’re weakening ourselves. Too many changelings are among the humans. We run the risk of more Unpossible.” MC had never heard the term before and had no idea what the king was referring to.

“That is true. However, the faster you complete your task, the less that risk is,” the father argued.

“Father, but why? Why now?” the king pressed.

She heard the other voice sigh, pausing before he answered. “Fine. You will learn the tale. This is not something we are sharing with our kind. In the past, we swindled and stole from many races. Not just humans. We were cunning and wild. There were no rules. But we tricked the wrong being. No one knows what it actually was. It took the guise of a tree. Our race, our kind was cursed. We had only sought to skin the tree. Legends say the bark of the tree came in a most peculiar color, one visible only to us. Our kind believed the bark belonged to us in those circumstances. They stripped the back from the tree, used it for many things. But the tree, whatever it truly was, placed a curse on our kind for taking what did not belong to us and offering nothing in return. We used to live above, did you know that? With only the sky above us and only the sky to hold us down. But after the curse, we fled underground to our world now. Does the tree even still exist? I know not. No one does.Our curse is that we can no longer steal and take without regard. We must barter. Trade. Always leave something behind.”

“The changelings,” the king muttered.

“Yes, in the case of the humans, we leave them with changelings. An equivalent trade. When we try to steal food, we had to give up some sustenance of our own. Water, seeds, even our own flesh, to feed those we’d taken from. We cannot escape this. If we try to, we are forced to sacrifice something worth far more than what we stole. Long has our family line sought to break this curse…”

The king didn’t speak immediately but soon he questioned his father. “What did our family lose?” he asked in a strained voice.

“You were never to find out. Your grandfather, my father and the king before I, we tried to break the curse. We stole a changeling back after it had lived most of its life. We brought it back here. It died. As did my child. Your older sister. In return, the first Unpossible was left behind.”

“You created them? Those cursed abominations?”

“We had no intention of doing so, of course. We wished to free our people. That is all.”

“You sacrificed your own daughter? I had an older sister? Was she to become queen? Am I now forced into this role solely because of your mistake?” Wait, the king was forced? He didn’t want to be king? This conversation was only giving MC more questions. “And you made those _things_ that pervert our world and others. I see no reason why I should help you.”

“Because the curse now falls to you. As the king, it is now your duty. Just as we cannot steal and _must_ leave something behind, you _must_ resume where I have left off. The moment you are called ‘King’ by one of our kind, the curse falls to you.”

“You tricked me! That is why you insisted I be crowned early. That is why you forced me to take the throne while you were still alive.” The young king sounded defeated. Surprised, but not angry. Resigned, perhaps. Fiery but knowing he now had no choice. “You’re nothing but a coward. You wish for me to do your dirty work. Because you decided it must now be my own filthy task. I do not know why or how you believe taking so many humans will break this curse. But if I am forced to do this, I will do it my way. Begone and be grateful I don’t have you imprisoned.”

MC heard footsteps leaving, likely the king walking away from his father. He was her captor and had threatened to force her into his thrall but she found herself just as disgusted by the tale as the king had been. She had no idea how more human babies were supposed to help them break the curse but she wasn’t about to give them the chance. She’d save as many children as she could now. They were all innocent victims, taken to be pawns in a game they would never be aware of. MC might have been the only human to see any part of the larger game board. She’d never been the most elegant strategist. Which was why her current plan was to simply…remove the pawns. Similar to angrily flipping the game board and scattering everything on the ground the instant she begins to lose. She was at a disadvantage so she’d simply toss the game board and force them to lose their progress. Elegant? No. Effective? That remained to be seen. If only she could escape the cage.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhhh and yes i am officially late but i am continuing and finishing a family lost! they did extend the event for another 2 weeks so my goal is to finish by then. hopefully.
> 
> day 4 is resilience | comfort this might be stretching it a bit but i tried to fit in both. jumin’s silent resilience against his father, against the life he’s being forced into. the comfort of an unlikely ally and possibly even friend. just…just close your eyes and pretend it fits the prompt okay lol.

MC’s dramatic and daring escape attempt (aka the constant repetition of trying her dagger in the lock in an effort to find the magic spot that would free her) wore on into the night. By morning, she was still trapped. She couldn’t recognize the passage of time in this new world yet.The only indication that any length of time had passed was the king’s arrival in a new outfit. So either it was a new day or the fae king changed his clothes frequently as if he enjoyed the fashion aspect. Which would have amused her, were she not still stuck. 

The king gave her a smirk. “I see your escape attempts have all failed,” he said with mock pity. The unfortunate realization that his voice still could sway her came rushing back. She’d thought she could fight against it more, now that she’d heard it before and knew its power. But no matter how she steeled her mind, she felt that silky, low voice creep into her, invading her.

“Give me my sister back,” she said through grit teeth, fighting off the sway. 

“Making demands in such a situation. How presumptuous. Why should I listen to a mere creature like you?” 

He was toying with her. She knew it. She felt outraged that this man, this fae, thought he could just use her or treat her any way he pleased. He may have been a king but he certainly wasn’t the king of her. She lived her own life and would prefer it without any additional involvement from the fae. “Because I perhaps know more than you think I do. For example, gathering the children was not your idea; you don’t even approve of it. So let her go. Let them all go and find your own solution that does not involve breaking families apart.” 

She got a reaction out of him from that. He actually briefly looked surprised but then a dark anger settled over him. She felt that rather than saw it and it gave her chills."You're a nosy prisoner," he said. "I should have expected you'd understand our language," he muttered under his breath. 

"What? What do you mean? You've been saying things like that this while time. What do you know?" she demanded, her curiosity overwhelming her fear. 

The king waved a hand, dismissing her questions. "If you don't know, I have no reason to tell you." The same answer he'd given before. His frustrating response offered her nothing. No relief, no answers. Just the same question burning in her mind. "So, you heard everything I discussed with my father." She nodded. He breathed a soft sigh. "Then there is little point in lying. You are correct, it was never my idea to take so many humans. It seemed a foolish idea to me from the start. However, as the new king, I must do what is expected of me." 

"He tricked you into being king. Just so you'd have no choice but to do what he wanted. What kind of behavior is that for a father? Are all fae fathers like that?" she asked, her voice a bit gentler. She hated the king for taking her sister but she had more anger for those who had tricked him into doing so. 

The king regarded MC skeptically. He didn't seem like the talkative type but she'd heard how upset he'd been. If ever there might be a topic to encourage him to talk, this would be it. "I suppose it could be normal. I have never known a father besides my own," he said, carefully neutral. 

"Well, human fathers aren't usually like that." She paused but watched the king. "Did you even want to be king?" she asked quietly. He tried to hide his expression but the way his features fell just the smallest bit, she knew the answer. She suddenly felt badly for him. He hadn't even wanted the role, and now he was forced to follow a plan he didn't approve of, after being tricked into it by his own father. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry." 

He looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "Do not act like you care. Do not think I need your pity. I still have the power here. You are the prisoner and I could easily dispose of you," he snarled, his power taking an almost palpable nature in the air. 

She felt an icicle of fear stab through her at his outburst but she fought it down. "Yes. That is all true. And maybe for fae, it's best to hide all the time. Keep everything bottled up. But for humans, sometimes it helps to talk." She could see he found the idea sickening. "Okay, maybe don't talk it out. But sometimes it helps to just be around someone who understands and knows what you're going through. That probably sounds like me trying to convince you to let me live but it's not. If I were to try to convince you of anything, it'd be to let me out of this cage." 

The corners of his mouth twitched at her joke. He regarded her, perhaps truly looking at her for the first time. "What do the humans call you?" he asked. 

Her head titled in mild confusion. "Oh, my name? It's MC. I won't call you 'king', especially not with what I heard. So what was your name before that?" 

"...Jumin." 

"Well, it's not nice to meet you, Jumin. In fact, I'd prefer we hadn't been made to meet. But there's no point in wishing for that anymore. Look, I think your father did something horrible to you. And I think you have the right to fight back. You took my sister, Mai. So I'm going to fight back until I get her back. Because you did something horrible to me, too, by taking her." She took in a deep breath, bracing herself for suggesting what she was about to. "You seem like you don't want to take humans, Jumin. I don't want you to take humans, either. Why don't we try to fight this? Together. Combine the knowledge of your kind with what I know of humans. If we break your curse, there's no need to take humans, right?" 

Jumin's eyes passed over her again. "You honestly think you'd be of any use to me?" he asked coldly. 

"Maybe not intellectually," she admitted. "But you have to admit, it's nice to speak candidly with me. That must be a comfort to you. And overcoming this is what you want as well. Our goals overlap. An alliance isn't ideal for me either. But your father needs to be stopped." 

Suddenly Jumin's eyes took a dangerous tint again and MC felt that familiar powerful sway he could call upon at will. The door to her cage swung open, despite no one touching it. Jumin advanced, leaning in close, She could feel his breath on her face. He might have been able to feel hers if she remembered to breathe. "Oh? So you wish to comfort me?" he purred, his voice low, settling over her, clinging to her. She tried desperately to suck in air, to erase the lingering feeling of his words. She shook her head, or tried to, as Jumin came closer still. "A companion's touch only clouds the thoughts," he murmured in her ear, making her shiver, her fingers clenching air as she imagined how he might proceed and how he might use her. But instead, suddenly, Jumin was gone, the sway over. She wobbled on her feet, catching herself before she fell by grappling the bars of her cage. The door remained open but Jumin was walking away. "I do not need anything you offer," he said, his back still facing her. "However, you are correct in saying we share a goal. I have no use in having one such as yourself as captive."

She climbed to her feet and followed him. Once again, he spoke in cryptic half-hints about her. "So am I supposed to just wander around here? You think I won't be captured again?" she asked. 

"No, I do not. It would not be wise of me to allow you to do as you pleased. We shall tell my people and my father that you are my consort." His lips curled into a sneer. "My plaything. Father has been urging me to take one for my own for some time. If we are seen together, they will have no reason to suspect you. Just behave as though you are under my power; worship me, always behave as though you exist only for me, as if you are my adoring kitten. And we shall find the way to break this curse, to clean up this mess my father left." 

Despite herself, she smiled. She felt relieved. She didn't know Jumin and couldn't trust him, but he had shown her enough for her to know that he wasn't as horrible as she'd expected. She finally felt some optimism that she would get Mai back safely. It was a comforting dream, despite the many ways their plan could backfire horrendously.


End file.
